Products under development are often tested to ensure they will operate properly under a variety of operating conditions. In many cases, products may be tested in environmental chambers that may simulate various types of operating conditions. For example, products may be tested at extreme temperature conditions, at differing humidity levels, and/or under exposure to various chemicals that may adversely affect their proper operation.
Because the products may be tested for long durations of time or under a variety of conditions, the environmental chambers used to test these products may require large amounts of energy. As energy costs have risen, the cost of testing such products have also risen. In addition, public concern about the impact that energy usage may have on global climate change has focused more interest on reducing overall energy usage.